hacks

The application file for Samsung's "S Voice" Siri clone interactive voice assistant agent was leaked over the weekend, leading to hundreds of less scrupulous users picking up the apk and installing it directly on their phones. This lead to owners of any Ice Cream Sandwich device being able to use the service intended only for owners of Samsung's next flagship phone, the Galaxy S III.
However,...

There's been a bit of fuss over the way the HTC One X (and One XL) handles multitasking, with some folks saying the phone is broken when talking about the way it handles tasks in the background. While it certainly is different than what we see on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, or other devices running previous versions of Android, it's not broken at all -- HTC has just tweaked it. Like everything...

If you're a custom ROM aficionado looking to get stuck into rooting and flashing your HTC One X, then there's finally an unofficial build ready that'll let you do just that. The first CyanogenMod 9 port for the international, Tegra 3-powered One X has appeared over on MoDaCo​, courtesy of team TripNDroid. In addition to replacing the bright colors of Sense with the more subdued, angular look of...

There's a new GPS fix out there for Android devices (including a special build for the Transformer Prime) that promises to fix the issues many have been seeing with the location services from ASUS' latest 10-inch tablet. We know that ASUS is set to give out GPS dongles to users affected by the bad hardware, but we had to take a look at this potential quick-fix and see how it works for us. Note...

Since it emerged that the AT&T Galaxy Note's hardware supported T-Mobile's HSPA frequencies, there's been a cash bounty out for anyone able to bring Tmo 3G and '4G' connectivity to the device. Now it may be time for someone to collect that reward, as a method involving copying over parts of radio firmware from other devices has resulted in success.
The method, discovered by hacker 'Tomin.FHL...

We've seen a couple new Ice Cream Sandwich builds leaked out for the Sprint Epic 4G Touch, and that makes us happy. It means someone is hard at work making this happen, nobody has forgotten about these great phones, and eventually ICS will show up for everyone that has one. But it's also easy to see why it's not there yet.
We love seeing leaks, and we try them, too. It's a fun part of Android...

Remember that controversial Motorola Droid 4 root method we talked about last week? You might have skimmed over the part where the method was presumed to work on just about any Motorola device, but it seems to be true -- the Motorola Droid XYBOARD (both versions) have been rooted using the method.
There's not a lot to actually do with your XYBOARD that needs root just yet, but we're sure all...

Development of CyanogenMod 9 continues apace, with the main dev overseeing LG devices releasing a very early "self-KANG" build for LG Optimus 2X and T-Mobile G2X owners. Ricardo Cerquiera reminds anyone wanting to try out his early builds to expect bugs and instability, as CM9 is still very much work-in-progress.
Here we go... CyanogenMod 9 builds for the p990 (LG Optimus 2X) and p999 (T-...

Exynos, Snapdragon S2 & S3 support on the way; Nexus One still uncertain
Work on CyanogenMod 9 has been underway since Google dropped the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich code back in late November. Today, lead developer Steve "Cyanogen" Kondik has given fans of the popular custom firmware a quick update on development of CM9, in a post on the official CM blog.
Steve says that third-party...

MIUI is not the ROM for everyone, we get that. But for those that do enjoy using it, things just got a little better -- Xiaomi has decided to release the source code changes and is in the process of open-sourcing the project. As of the time of this writing, you'll find the core patches to things like the framework and the make files as well as code for the file explorer, notes app, compass...

Youtube link for mobile viewing
If you hack or flash ROMs and various "stuff" to your Android phone, you know about ClockworkMod recovery. +Nathan Grebowiec has just taken it a step further, and built an unofficial version for the Galaxy Nexus (both versions) that uses the capacitive buttons while inside recovery. It still does all the same functions as the original, and you can even restore...

The Motorola ACTV (read our review of the Android powered watch thingy here) has been rooted. While this registers a solid 11 on the awesome-meter, we really shouldn't be that surprised -- it's running Android, and by now all the evil scientists Android hackers know their way around things and nothing running Google's OS is safe. But I still have to sit and smile because not only is there a...

Have an Optimus 3D or LG Thrill 4G (the U.S. version on AT&T)? Here's news you'll love -- Ricardo Cerqueira, an Android hacking mastermind when it comes to high-end LG devices, has released a new version of his "Almost CyanogenMod 7" ROM today. Why the "Almost" tag? Ricardo explains thusly:
This early release is based off the current CyanogenMod code, but unlike CM its components aren't...

The Samsung Vibrant (the first of the original Galaxy S devices to hit the U.S.) is no longer supported by CyanogenMod. According to developer Abhisek Devkota, issues with the way the radio interface layer interacts with the audio layer leads to a loss of the ability to dial 911, and this issue can not be solved without source code from Samsung. In his own words:
We are no longer supporting...

Dingleberry, the exploit package that roots the BlackBerry PlayBook (and has one of the coolest names ever) has gone public, and everyone who bought a PlayBook can now root the QNX operating system on the device. Huge props to the fellows who figured out the exploit, especially because rooting QNX builds isn't a well documented or popular subject. You gentlemen have a standing offer of an ice...

You didn't think we would stop playing with the Ice Cream Sandwich AOSP ROM for the Nexus S so soon did you? Trust me when I tell you it's almost 100 percent, and well worth the time to flash and try it out. We've been having a go with it for a good while now, and decided to fire up the camera and let everyone have a look. Catch the video after the break, then hit the download link to give...

Bazinga. The Qualcomm chip in the T-Mobile Galaxy S II has been overclocked to 1.8GHz, and as far as we know nothing has caught fire and no fuzzy animals have been harmed. The Hercules is the oddball of the Samsung Galaxy S II line, using a different chipset to achieve those rocking 42 M/sec HSPA+ speeds, and many feared there would be little developer interest in the handset. It looks like...

HTC has made the Gingerbread kernel source for the EVO Shift 4G, HTC Thunderbolt, and Droid Incredible available for download on their developer center website. As always, unless you're a kernel developer or ROM chef, this won't do too much for you -- other than build anticipation for the awesome new flashables that will be coming soon for these three.
Devs, have at it. And don't be afraid to...

If you have an HTC EVO 3D, and have had some issues flashing the TWRP (and be sure to check out Josh's awesome hands-on and interview with developer agrabren) while using version 1.5 of hboot, our own AC Developer scrosler has whipped up some badassery to help you along. It's a Windows only tool, but all you need to do is install the USB drivers, and click the button to get TWRP flashed and...

(And it doesn't mean the sky is falling)
Update (Oct. 4): HTC says a fix is on the way. Original follows.
Another week, another bit of scary news that nobody is taking the time to properly explain. This time it's more HTC data logging, and the way HTC is handling the data it collects. Exposed in technical detail by Android Police, you'll see this spread all over the Internet for the next few...

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